The only reason I say is arriving instead of has arrived is because school is still in session. Sorry, but it just isn't quite summer when school is still in nearly full swing. (I say nearly full swing because we let out an hour early every day in the month of June. And all the people said, "AMEN!") But summer weather? It's here.

And in the spirit of warmer, slower days and increasing company over the last couple of months, reading slowed down a bit. But here's what I've been reading lately. Click on over to the "On the Bookshelf" tab for my ideas/thoughts/"reviews" for those books! (You know you want to.)

BOOK NINETEEN: Homeland by Barbara Kingsolver.

BOOK TWENTY: A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh.

BOOK TWENTY-ONE: Bury Me Standing by Isabel Fonseca.

BOOK TWENTY-TWO: Camilla by Madeleine L'Engle.

BOOK TWENTY-THREE: Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey.

Currently reading: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain. THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD. More about how totally awesome this book is soon.

"I was given this advice nearly twenty years ago, when I was embarking on college visits. While on campus, attend as many classes as you can. Ask the professors for the course syllabi. Review the reading lists carefully. If the majority of the school’s required texts aren’t at least thirty years old, run for the hills."

I scanned my reading log of what I've spent time reading since September 2014 (when we arrived in Spain and endless hours to read presented themselves): I read mainly modern fiction. That's not all bad, because there really are some wonderful things out there. (And then there are some horrible reads. Gone Girl, I'm looking directly at you.) But ten years ago, I steered clear of modern fiction (not a balanced path, but true nonetheless). I was kind of afraid to venture out, not really having any guides to what was worth spending time on and what might be better to bypass, at least for the time being. This post on MMD's blog got me thinking about heading back to some of the classics (because I have some big gaps in my reading). Wives and Daughters has been on the bookshelf for a few months, so that might just be my next read. I'd love some recommendations for classics that you love!